Runnibtg-gear of locomotives



PATENTED DEC. 2, 1851.-

R. WIINANS. RUNNING GEAR FOR LQGOM0'lIYES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROSS WINANS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

RUNNING-GEAR OF LOCOMOTIVES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 8,571, dated December 2, 1851.

ment in Locomotive-Engines to be used on' Railroads; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full and exact description of the same.

The drawing annexed Figures 1 and 2 illustrates and forms a part of thisspecifi-- cation. It represents a passenger engine of large class, thetotal weight of which is from 22 to 25 tons. It has eight smallsupporting wheels, arranged in two separate four wheel trucks of anydesirable description, the trucks swivel or turn upon their own centers,similar to those of an eight wheeled car, and are arranged under theengine with a view to the proper distribution and support of its weighton the road. Fig.1 represents a side view of the engine, with a singlepair of large driving wheels, seven feet in diameter. Directly over thejournals of the axles of these wheels, are placed, and secured to theboiler, two steam cylinders W, W, W, Figs. 1 and 2, one on each side ofthe boiler. These cylinders are of cup form and have their open endsprovided with a stuffing box and gland, see section Fig. 2, like theends of the pump barrels of a locomotive engine into which the pumpplungers play. These cylinders are placed with their open or stufiingbox ends downward. Into them are fitted the cup or tumbler formedplungers or pistons P, P, Fig. 2, with their open ends also downward.lVhen these pistons are in place, the stufiing boxes of the cylindersare packed with hemp or other suitable substance, so as to forma steamtight joint between the plunger and the stuffing box.

G, G, Fig. 2, are two bars or bolts of iron, one of which-is shown at G,Fig. 1. The upper ends of the bars bear against the center of the headsof the cup formed plungers P, P, as shown in sect-ion at Y, Y, Fig. 2.The lower ends rest on the center of the bearing box on the axle of thedriving wheels in the manner of the ordinary spring bolts of engines.

W'hen steam is let into the cylinders above the plungers, (constructedand arranged as described) the driving wheels of the engine are presseddown to the rails of the road with an amount of force proportional tothe pressure of steam acting upon the ends, or areas of the steamplungers or pistons, and as this forcing of the driving wheels down uponthe rails is increased in amount or weight, so is the adhesion of thedriving wheels to the rails increased, and this adhesion being the onlyfulcrum by which the moving power acts to give motion to the engine,arid its load, the tract-ive force which the engine can exert isincreased in the same ratio. When no steam is let into these cylindersthe driving wheels propel the engine upon the rails only through theirown weight, and that of their axles, eccentrics, &c., but support nopart of the boiler until steam is admitted into the cylinders above thesaid plungers or pistons. The arrangement I prefer for letting steaminto these adhesion cylinders is by means of a communication betweenthem and the main steam pipe leading from the throttle valve to the mainpropelling cylinders, as shown at a, a, Fig. 2. By this arrangement thethrottle valve, which is used for the purpose of regu lating thepressure of steam admitted into the main or propelling cylinders of alocomotive engine, will also in a nearly corresponding degree regulatethe pressure of steam in the adhesion cylinders. The plungers or pistonsupon which the steam acts to obtain the requisite adhesion are to havesuch an area as, when acted upon by the maximum pressure of steamproposed to be used in the boiler, shall cause the wheels to be presseddown to the rails with a force which, when added to the weight of thewheels, axles, eccentrics, &c., will be equal to the greatest weightwhich it is proposed to apply on the drivers for the purpose ofobtaining the adhesion upon which the tractive power of the enginedepends. This being determined, the main or propelling cylinders are tobe made of such capacity as shall with the maximum pressure of the steamrender available the adhesion due to the maximum weight on the drivers,to the fullest practical intent. The following dimensions of the enginehere represented it is believed will answer well in practice with amaximum pressure of steam of eighty pounds per square inch: Propellingcylinders, 17 inches diameter; stroke of piston, 22 inches; drivingwheel, 7 feet diameter; pistons of adhesion cylinders, 11 inchesdiameter.

The areas of the adhesion pistons are equal to 190 square inches. Withthis area of piston, and with 80 pounds per square inch as themaximumpressure of the steamin the adhesion cylinders, the drivingwheels will be pressed down to the rails with a force of 15,200 pounds.Add to this the weight of the wheels, axles, eccentrics, &c., 7,300pounds, and we have a Weight on the drivers of 22,500 pounds, or 10tons, which is perhaps as great a weight as should be admitted on asingle pair of drivers, but which it is believed may be permitted andused with advantage under this arrangement, on a good, substantial road.The same pressure of steam (80 .pounds per square inch) acting on thepistons in the propelling cyl inders, will enable the engine to exert aforce of traction of about 5000 pounds, while the 22,500 poundspressure, or weight of the driving wheels on the rails, will afford afair practical amount of adhesion for this maximum force of traction.When steam of 60 pounds pressure per square inch is acting in thepropelling cylinders, the force of traction of the engine will be about3,740 pounds, while the same pressure in the adhesion cylinders willmake the entire weight on the driving wheels of the engine about 18,700pounds, which weight on the driving wheels, though less in amount thanin the preceding case, is suflicient to afiord' the adhesion necessaryto the force of 3,740 pounds traction, which is also less than inthepreceding case. \Vhen steam of 40 pounds pres sure per square inch isacting in the propeling cylinders, the force of traction of the enginewill be about 2,385 pounds, while the same pressure of steam in theadhesion cylinders will make the entire'weight on the driving wheelsabout 1 1,900 pounds. This weight on the drivers, though less'than ineither of the above twocases, will afford suflicientadhesion for theforce of traction, (2,383 pounds due to the 40 pounds steam acting inthe main cylinders) again, when steam of 20 pounds pressure per squareinch is acting in the propelling cylinders, the force of traction of theengine will be about 1,039 pounds, while the same pressure of steam inthe adhesion cylinders will make the entire weight on the driving wheelsabout 11,100 pounds. This weight on the driving wheels, though stillless than either of the cases before stated, will give adhesion quitesuflicient for the occcasion, the pull of the engine being less than inany of the cases before stated.

Agreeable to the foregoing amounts of tractive force and theweight onthe driving wheels of the engine here represented, when 80 poundspressure of steam'per square inch is acting on the pistons in therespective sets of cylinders, there is 1% pounds pressure or weight onthedriving wheels upon the rails for each pound of tractive force of theengine; when 60 pounds pressure of steam is acting in the two sets ofcylinders, the pres sure on the drivers upon the rails of the road is 5pounds for each pound of tractive force of-the engine; when 40 poundspressure of steam is acting, the weight on the driving wheels is 6;}pounds for each pound of tractive force of the engine; and with 20pounds,

the pressure of the drivers upon the railsis 1 pounds for each pound oftractive force of the engine. This is advantageous as will appear fromwhat immediately follows.

The amount of adhesion of the driving wheels of an engine to the railsis varied by more or less moisture or dirt upon the rails, and by othercircumstances; it is therefore difficult to determine the exact amountof weight required on the driving wheels of an engine to furnish a givenor definite amount of adhesion. Consequently to guard sufficientlyagainst the slipping of the driving wheels some surplus weight on themis required above that, which would be sufficient in most cases for agiven force of traction. hen the weight on each driving wheel of thisplan of engine is the greatest, this surplus weight should be appliedmost sparingly, because the road is then in most danger of being injuredby it, and because the speed of the engine is then more likely to besuch, as to enable the adhesion in eX- treme exigencies to be increasedby the use of sand, as now generally practiced; but as the total weighton the driving wheels is diminished, this surplus weight may be moreabundantly admitted, for the total weightbeing less, the injury to theroad is less.

This being the case, and as it is desirable that the slipping of thewheels should be as fully guarded against by Weight on the rails, as isconsistent with a due regard to the preservation of the road, and moreespecially at such speeds as render it diflicult or impracticable to usesand, the increasing surplus fweight with the diminishing total weighton the drivers is advantageous.

It will be observed that with 20 pounds pressure of steam in thecylinders the traction of the engine (1,039 pounds) is sufficient topropel an ordinary passenger train over a considerable portion of a goodroad, and

that while this is the case the weight on the one pair of driving wheels(11,100 pounds) is about one fifth the entire weight of the engine, orthe same in amount to the weight borne by one of the four pairs oftruckwheels; making about an equal distribution of the weight on all tenof the wheels, and no important increase of pressure or weight on thedriving wheels will take place exceptit be required by the greaterresistance of the load or train, and then such increase will be inaccordance, or very nearly so with the requirements of each particularcase, and

when the increased pressure on the driving wheels is no longer required,it will cease to operate. The result is, that the aggregate weight onthe driving wheels of this plan of engine is very much less, inproportion to the aggregate work which can be performed by it, thanhereto. The accomplishing of this by means of varying the steam pressureupon the plungers or pistons in the ad hesion cylinders, or by varyingthe force with which the steam acts to press the driv ing wheels down tothe rails of the road, is

believed to be entirely new, and is intended to be claimed as such.

In the several statements here made of the relative force of tractionand power of adhesion of the engine, when steam of the same elasticforce is acting in the respective sets of cylinders, the results givenare derived from calculation, and are believed to be about what will beexperienced in practice, or at least sufficiently near it, to answer thepresent purpose, which is to illustrate one of the features of thisinvention;

\Vhen the resistance to motion of the engine and train issuch as torequire the full force of traction of the engine to overcome it, thethrottle valve is opened to such extent as will allow as nearly aspracticable the full pressure of steam in the boiler to act upon thepistons of the main or pro pelling cylinders; the same opening of thethrottle valve causes steam of equal pressure to act upon the plungersof the small or adhesion cylinders, which at the same time give theadhesion required for the full exercise of the tractive power of theengine.

In the practical working of an engine the average traction required todraw its load is much less than that which the e11- gine is required toexert when starting its load, or taking over hard parts of the road; andas the resistance of the train or traction which the engine is requiredto exert varies, so the effective pressure of steam acting on thepistons varies in the same ratio. If the pressure of steam in theboiler, per square inch, is greater than that which would be necessaryin the propelling cylinders to take a given load at a given speed, andif the generation of steam is sufficiently rapid to maintain thepressure in the boiler above what is required in the cylinders, thesteam is partially restrained, or wire drawn, in its passage to thecylinders, by means of the throttle valve, and enough only is allowed topass through the steam pipe into the cylinders to maintain the requisitedegree of speed. When the valve has been so adjusted as to accomplishthis, if the resistance of the trains then becomes less from thecharacter of the road or other cause, in order to maintain the samespeed, the throttle valve must be operated so as still further to impedethe flow of steam into the pipe leading to the cylinders, and thusreduce the pressure of the steam in the pipe, and consequently theeffective pressure in the cylinders, in proportion to the diminishedresistance on the load. If the throttle valve be not so operated whenthe resistance to the progress of the train becomes less, an increase inthe speed of the engine follows; while the speed is being acceleratedthe 412's inertia; of the moving mass forms a part of the resistanceuntil the speed becomes uniform, and an equilibrium is establishedbetween the pressure of steam in the propelling cylinders and theresistance of the train. hen the resistance to the progress of the trainis increased, the throttle valve is opened so as to admit the steam morefreely into the steam pipe leading to the cylinders, otherwise the speedof the engine becomes diminished, and in either case the pressure of thesteam in the steam pipe and in the cylinders becomes greater inproportion as the resistance is increased. From this it follows, thatwhen a free communication is formed bet-ween the adhesion cylinders andsteam pipe leading through the throttle valve to the propellingcylinders as before described, the pressure of steam per square inch inthe adhesion cylinders varies with that in the propelling cylinders, andthe weight thrown upon the driving wheels by means of the steam actingin the adhesion cylinders is increased or diminished, and although notprecisely in the same ratio or proportion, it is in proportion as beforestated, which in practice is believed to be more desirable, thusfurnishing at all times the requisite amount of adhesion of the wheelsto the rails, for the successful operation of the engine, while theaverage weight 011 the driving wheels is much less than that requiredfor the maximum resistance of the load. By this means the maximum weightwhich may be judiciously placed upon any one driving wheel is increased,while the aggregate injury done to the road is diminished. The maximumweight being but occasionally employed and generally at slow speed itmay be greater than when it remains constantly on the wheels, and itsinjurious effects on the road are increased by rapid speed; this favorsthe use of a single pair of driving wheels, which is important forengines intended for fast speeds; The use of one pair of driving wheelsis favorable to their being made large, and to steady movement of theengine and absence from derangements of parts consequent on rapid speed.

The application of steam to press down the driving wheels and thusobtain adhesion as described, is not only useful for the purposes beforementioned, but it serves as a most perfect spring to relieve the enginefrom shocks and jolts occasioned by inequalities of the road. It differsfrom steel, indiarubber, air, or other similar springs, by the greateruniformity with which a given weight upon the wheels is preserved, whilethe engine is passing over inequalities of road, and oscillating indifferent directions; steel and other springs undergo a greater degreeof variation in their stiffness when acted upon by such inequalities ofthe road or oscillation of the engine. The result of which is, that thevertical and other movement or vibration of the engine is restrainedwithin practical limits by the alternate in crease and diminution ofstiffness in the springs, but this necessarily involves more and lesspressure upon each individual wheel, and even upon all the wheelscollectively, at particular moments. The steam spring, with the entiresteam chamber of the boiler as its fountain, varies in tension orstifiness very little if at all, and therefore would be unfit to beapplied to all the wheels of an engine. But when in combination withsteel or other springs having the property of varying in stiffness, asherein described, the result is, that the weight on the wheels to whichit is applied is less varied by disturbing causes than by the modesbefore practiced. For the driving wheels of engines this is important inas much as the available adhesionis increased thereby. Again it isdesirable that engines intended for fast speed should have as fewdriving wheels as is practicable, and this is an inducement to put thegreatest weight on each driving wheel, which a due regard to thepreservation of the road will admit. This object is favored by the useof the steam spring in combination with the steel or other springs asherein specified, because of this greatest weight beng less liable toincrease the injurious effects upon the road by the fluctuations in thevertical pressure upon the rails. This advantage as well as the one lastmen tioned, attaches to the steam spring and accompanying arrangementsas described, whether the cylinders which give effect to the spring, besupplied with steam direct from the boiler, or from the pipe leadingthrough the throttle valve to the propelling cylinders, as herein setforth. It is true that some of the wheels supporting the engine aresubject to fluctuation in their pressure upon the rails, from the causesbefore stated, and from which the driving wheels are relieved by steamsprings; but the bearing wheels may be, and are to be increased innumber so that the weight upon each wheel may be so reduced as to allowof this fluctuation being borne by the bearing wheels rather than by thedriving wheels, upon which a large weight is necessarily concentratedfor the purpose set forth.

When the communication between the boiler and the adhesion cylinders isdirect and not pressing through the throttle valve and pipe leading tothe main cylinders, water from the boiler may pass into the adhesioncylinders instead of steam and the effect will be the same, provided theopening between the boiler and cylinders is large enough to allow thewater to flow freely, the required elasticity being derived from thesteam above the water in the boiler.

An account is given in Nichols Woods Treatise on Railroads, firstAmerican from second English edition, pages 135136, of a locomotiveengine having cylinders with pistons in them placed over each of thejournals of the axles of the engine, the rods from these pistons pressedupon the chairs that rested on the axles of the wheels on which thecarriage moved. The account says: WVhen therefore the steam presses uponthe pistons the weight is transmitted to the axles by the piston rodsand the react-ion of that pressure takes as much weight off the engine,if therefore the cylinders are of sufficient area, so that the pressureof the steam upon the whole of the pistons is equal to the weight of theengine, the engine will be lifted up, as it were, or entirely supportedby steam, which thus forms a kind of spring, of the nicest elasticity.The account further says: The application of the steambearing cylindersdivided the weight equally upon the four wheels, and, if necessary, uponsiX wheels, as shown in Fig. IV, Plate VI, and thus causes one frame tobe suflicient, and consequently simplified.

The drawing just referred to represents the side view of a locomotiveengine with six wheels of the same size. The middle pair are bearingwheels only, the other two pairs are driving wheels. The drawingindicates the employment of steam springs at each of the journals of thebearing as well as the driving wheels, no other springs are representedor spoken of in the descriptive account of this engine. In anarrangement like this where steam springs only are employed, it would bedifficult, if not impracticable, to regulate or maintain the pressure ofsteam in the spring cylinders, so as to support the entire weight of theboiler and its immediate attachment, and to keep the whole suspended onthe springs at the proper elevation above the rails. If this perfectequilibrium or equal balance between the load and the springs should behad at any particular moment, and the load on the springs was butslightly increased by the introduction of more water or fuel into theboiler and otherwise, the result would be that one or both ends of theboiler would settle down until a chock or bearing capable of supportingso much of the weight not balanced by the steam spring was reached, andthis would be the case even though the settling down was continuedthrough a much longer range than would be admissible in practice.

Results similar to these just mentioned, take place when the pressure ofsteam per square inch in the boiler is varied without the load on thesprings being varied; again, the load resting on the steam springs isnot checked in its vertical and lateral vibrations consequent upon theaction of the engine, for the strength or stiffness of these springs isnot increased or diminished by greater or less depressions. Thesedifliculties in the use of steam springs as applied to all the wheels ofan engine, is remedied by the use of steel springs and steam springs incombination with each other.

hen the steel springs of an engine are of suflicient strength to supportthe greatest weight which they may be subjected to, any variation of the'weight of the load resting upon them which may occur in practice, isattended with only a slight elevation or depression of the boiler andother parts resting on the springs, while the entire weight designed tobe supported on the springs continues to be supported. The vertical andother vibrations of the parts of the engine resting on the steel springsis checked or restrained within narrow or practicable limits by theaction of the springs themselves, and without the aid of chocks, thesesprings reacting with more or less energy as they are subjected to moreor less tension by the inequalities of the road. Air, india-rubber, andperhaps some other springs adapt themselves to the variations in theload in a similar manner to that of the steel springs, and may thereforebe used instead of them.

While steel, air, and india-rubber springs as above set forth are betteradapted for use in locomotive engines than steam springs, when appliedto all the wheels of an engine, the two description of springs may beused advantageously together or in connection with each other, inpassenger or other engines, when a portion only of the wheels aredrivers. The steam spring being used for transmitting weight to thejournals of the driving wheel axle, and the steel, air, indiarubber, orother similar springs being used to support the weight resting on thejournals of the bearing wheel axles.

In such arrangements of 'bearing and driving wheels, and springs, thebearing wheels should be sufficient in number to support the entireweight of the boiler and its attachments, without there being moreweight on any one Wheel, than a due regard for the preservation of theroad, will warrant. The bearing wheels which receive the weight of theboiler 620. through the steel, air, india-rubber, or other similarsprings, are to be placed under each end of the boiler or the engine,and should have such position and arrangement as will distribute theweight of the boiler and its attachments equally upon all the saidbearing wheels. The driving wheels are placed between the sets ofbearing wheels supporting their re- 'spective ends of boiler, and careshould be taken that the driving wheels are placed in such position tothe sets of bearing wheels, that the weight which is thrown upon thedriving wheels by the steam in the adhesion cylinders, shall be takenfrom the respective bearing wheels in such proportion as to leave, asnearly as practicable, an equal Weight on'each of the said bearingwheels.

The side view of the engine Fig. 1, hereto annexed furnishes anillustration of this arrangement and shows a position of wheels andsprings under a boiler, and a number of bearing wheels, which it isbelieved will answer well in practice on a good substantial road, whenthe entire weight-of the engine does not exceed 25 tons. If this engineis to be used on a less substantial road, or the weight of the enginebeing materially increased, more bearing wheels should be placed underit, and six or eight wheel trucks may be used under each end of theengine instead of four wheel trucks, and be made to swivel on theircenters in like manner to the single or four Wheeled trucks; and for abetter distribution of the weight on the road, four or more drivingwheels may be placed between the trucks or hearing wheels, and usedinstead of two as here shown. In the case where four driving wheels areused, the adhesion cylinders may be placed midway between the axles ofsaid drivers, and the downward pressure of the steam may be distributedamong the wheels by means of an equalizing beam; or four, or moreadhesion cylinders may be used, one placed over each journal, asarranged for a single pair of drivers.

In order that the objects here had in View may be carried out orrealized to a still greater extent a second set of adhesion cylindersmay be placed'immediately over those before described, and so arrangedas to press the propelling wheels to the rails with a force additionalto that of the lower sets of adhesion cylinders, as occasion mayrequire; the steam pressure being made to operate or not on thesecylinders at the discretion of the engine-man. A mode of carrying outthis, is represented in Figs. 1 and 2. The second set of adhesioncylinders are shown at R, R, It, these with their cup formed pistons,stuffing boxes, &c., are like the first or lower set hereinbeforedescribed, except that they are smaller; being in diameter about 7%inches, which makes the area of these pistons about one half that of thelower set. They are attached to the lower cylinders by the bolts L, L,Fig. 1. The piston rods K, K, Fig. 2, through the medium of which thedownward thrust of these auxiliary cylinders is exerted, pass downthrough the stufling boX at m, m, Fig. 2, and take bearing on the top ofvthe piston of the lower adhesion cylinders, immediately over the rodsor pistons which transmit the power to-the driving wheel boxes; thus thetwo sets of cylinders act in co-njunctionwhen everv steam is acting onboth sets. Steam is let into these cylinders by means of the pipes 22,n, Figs. 1 and 2, directly from the boiler, or it may be from thelowersets of adhesion cylinders. At 0, 0, Fig. 2, are stop cocks to beoperated by the engine-man, so that he may use the power of thesecylinders to produce adhesion, only when occasion may require it, suchas: starting a train, a slippery state of the road, or for other similarcauses,

and relieve the road from the increased stress, as soon, as the occasionfor it shall cease. The handles of these stop cocks are connectedtogether by the rod .2, Fig. 2, so

that they may be operated on simultaneously and by one act of theengine-man. Inlike manner a third or more sets of adhesionicylinders maybe placed over the others, and thus give still greater range and actionto the force with which the Wheels may be pressed to the rails, at themoment requirand it may be from other causes This variation of theweight on the driving wheels of engines, by the steam pressure,operating through the medium of the ordinary propelling cylinders,whether incidentally, or by design, or whether operating advantageously,or otherwise, has long been well known, and is not intended to beclaimed.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The use of steam springs for the support of the weight carried bythedriving wheels of a locomotive engine, in combination with bearing orsupporting wheels placed both before and behind the aforesaid drivingwheels; which bearing wheels support a portion of the weightof theengine, through the medium of steel, air, indiarubher, or other springs,possessing the properties herein described, as belonging to steelsprings as distinguished from steam springs;

for the purpose set forth in the specification. 2. I also claim theemployment of steam springs, or steam pressure operating separately fromthe propelling cylinders, for the purpose of varying the pressure of thedriving wheels of a locomotive engine upon the rail of the road, incombination with bearing or supporting wheels placed both before andbehind the aforesaid driving wheels, which bearing wheels support aportion of the weight of the engine, through the medium of steel, air,india-rubber, or other springs, possessing the properties hereindescribed, belonging to steel springs, as distinguished from steamsprings; for the purpose set forth in the specification.

- ROSS WVINANS.

Witnesses: 7

GEO. A. LEPPER, EMIL REUTF-R.

